Giving Back: A Reading Road Trip with Sandals Foundation
Have you ever considered giving back on vacation? This year, I attended the Social Media on the Sand Conference at Beaches Negril resort and had the opportunity to participate in a Reading Road Trip Experience through the Sandals Foundation.
The Reading Road Trip initiative is aimed at improving literacy, comprehension and vocabulary of children throughout the Caribbean. The trip takes place every Thursday and is available through Island Routes Adventure Tours. The experience allows guests of Sandals and Beaches Resorts – in Jamaica, Antigua, the Turks and Caicos Islands, St. Lucia and Exuma in the Bahamas – to visit a Foundation adopted school and lend literacy support to students.
All of the attendees of the Social Media on the Sand Conference spent the first full morning of the conference learning more about the Sandals Foundation before we were all divided into groups and bussed to various schools in Negril to volunteer for our Reading Road Trip. My group took a happy trip to Happy Hearts Early Childhood Institution in Negril, Jamaica.
It was so heartwarming and FUN to read to these children, listen to them, and learn about how and where THEY learn.
I got to know these three little guys so well on our trip. I learned about their families, what they like, their school and what books they loved.
I was so honored that they shared their schools, their lives and their time with me on this trip. Reading to these children, coloring with them, and listening to them talk about their families was one of the highlights of my trip.
Visitors to the resorts can volunteer (for a small fee which includes the cost of round trip transportation) 2 hours of their time at one of The Sandals Foundation’s adopted schools and interact with children and help them with their literacy skills. If you want to participate with a Reading Road Trip when you visit a Sandals/Beaches Resort, you may sign up with Island Routes Tours via the tour company’s website www.islandroutes.com, its call centre at 1-888-429-5478 (toll free from Jamaica), or Island Routes Tours desk at any Sandals, Beaches and Grand Pineapple resort.
While we were there, the kids at Happy Hearts colored photos to send to the children of Haiti and the Bahamas who were affected recently by Hurricane Matthew. You too can help out by donating to the Beaches Moms campaign to support of the Sandals Foundation’s Hurricane Matthew fundraising efforts. You can donate by clicking here and placing Lashawn Wiltz or Everyday Eyecandy in the comments!
Do you think you would enjoy a Reading Road Trip at a Sandals Resort? Have you ever volunteered on vacation? What do you think of this initiative?
Aww this post touches my heart so much. Bravo to you for doing this and what a great road trip that helps these children. I wish there are move events like this all over the world to help our children.
I loved seeing pictures of the Happy Hearts school! Those boys are just adorable. It was such a crazy rewarding experience that I hope many people get to do. It is worth every minute!
It really was!! It’s something that I think I’ll do even if we go back without Beaches Moms!
Oh wow what an amazing way to volunteer some of your time, it looks like such an amazing opportunity.
This just warms my heart. There needs to be a big ramp up in the spirit of giving back in this world. There’s too much selfishness and apathy.
This sound like SUCH a great project! I hope it catches fire! EVERY person deserves an education to make life better or just the way they picture it to be!
This sounds like a great experience! Seeing the smiles on the children’s faces would be so worth it! Thank you for sharing!
What an awesome experience. I would have loved to take a Reading Road Trip at a Sandals Resort! It’s so important to help others and to give back. It makes us all stronger as a people.
What a great foundation! I would love to do this and volunteer to help at any of these schools!
No, I’ve never heard to doing volunteer work while on vacation. It’s certainly an interesting idea!
I would love to volunteer and look forward to doing more of it in the New Year!
I had no idea that Sandals did this. It is always great to be able to help out and give back. This is really neat!
Recently I discovered volunteering as a vacation travel experience. I must say it has been the most rewarding and fulfilling vacation ever. Happy to see more opportunities coming up
A girl after my own heart! Thank you for doing what you do! We need more women like you!
I would love giving back while on vacation. We recently had a chance to do just that on a cruise to the Dominican Republic. I really enjoyed it, and l would do it again. It was really nice teaching English to the kids especially.
I love that you’re giving back! You’re blog is such an inspiration!
I love that you’re giving back. You’re blog is such an inspiration!
What an amazing foundation!!! What a great way to give back while on a vacation like this.
My heart is so full seeing this happy, smiling and eager to learn faces in my home country. So glad you were able to experience this part of the island. The children are truly a joy. I plan on taking volunteer work vacations. Definitely worth it to give back and to fill yourself up with gratitude.
This is such a great idea, I’ve never given back while on vacation. I love to read to children so I would have really enjoyed this opportunity.
Looks like you had an amazing time and experience! Volunteering while on vacation? Love the idea
That’s a wonderful initiative. How nice is must be to give back even while having fun on vacation.
What a beautiful experience that must have been! You capture it well too. What a great way for everyone to give back.
That is awesome! I never considered volunteering on vacation, but I would love to do that. The next time we go on vacation I’ll have to see I can do something like that.
Now I didn’t know you could do stuff like this. It definitely sounds fun!
This is amazing! I love volunteering! Thanks for sharing this part of you with us! I would love to volunteer in this type of environment one day!
Yes, I just read about this from another blogger! I think it’s awesome that you were able to give back while on vacation, I’d definitely be interested in doing it.
I had no idea Sandals did this…you know, partnered to give it’s visitors the opportunity to reach out to the community. I would really love this. There is no better investment made than time with a child.
What a great cause you guys are doing. It must be an uplifiting experience for you all.
This warms my heart. I actually read about this from another blogger as well and I definitely want to visit the kiddies and make my next Jamaican vacation more meaningful.
This is an amazing cause. Wow! I love how you all are giving back to our diverse communities. All the best in your future endeavors. BTW the pictures are gorgeous.
What a beautiful experience LaShawn! And your photos are gorgeous, capturing it all so it feels like we are there (not a surprise, lol). Thank you getting involved and sharing your story!
I’ve always thought about volunteering with Habitat for Humanity but this reading thing seems like way more fun! And a damn sight less taxing!
Love this! That was a really wonderful day with the kids and exploring the school. I definitely feel like I need to go back!
I would like to say something about the Volunteer work. I have done many Charity and volunteer jobs and works with my mates in the office. Its really a good and wonderful activity.
Your view on ethnically volunteering is great. Going to pin this article, feel others can get benefits too.
I tried to do the Reading Road Trip twice, but there “wasn’t enough interest”, so they wouldn’t take just my husband and me. I taught elementary school for 20 years, and was really looking forward to it. I was surprised, and couldn’t understand why, they wouldn’t let us go. I like to think two people volunteering are worth the time, but apparently not.